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St Philip's will break gorund

St. Philip's Lutheran Church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), 1401 W. 15th St., will break ground for a 12,000-foot addition to the church at noon, Sunday, Sept. 16. The community is invited to attend.

St. Philip's was founded in May 1967 as a mission church of the then American Lutheran Church. Over the years it has added to its original building, giving it education and other utilitarian space. A larger and updated sanctuary has been its dream and goal. With the passage of time, prayer and dedicated financial support, it is now scheduled to happen. Additional worship space for not only St. Philip's' members but for new worshippers has been in an active stage of development for seven years.

The new space will consist of a new narthex, or receiving area, a sanctuary that will seat 400 worshippers, an expanded parking lot with additional access to Pleasant Drive, an unfinished area for future administrative use, and additional space for the church's ministries and community use.

St. Philip's is proud to be adding this enhanced site for worship for the community of Hastings, according to expansion committee co-chair Glenda Schnirring. It has been, and will continue to be, an approachable community of believers, expressing its call to be witnesses of Christ's teaching, by serving as "neighbor" and advocate for Hastings and the greater community, she said.

Serving on the expansion committee are co-chairs Steven Henrichs and Glenda Schnirring, with members Sherry and Bruce Akins, Lynn Arndtson, Gary and Sheri Betz, Terry Kochendorfer, Denny Kohn and Bert Goderstad. The serving pastors of St. Philip's, senior Pastor Ed Frederick and associate Pastor David Wrightsman, serve as advisors.

Station 19 of Minneapolis designed the addition. Langer Construction of St. Paul will serve as general contractor. A $2.7 million mortgage from Merchants Bank will support the $3.5 million project.